Donegal County Council named Local Authority of the Year 2024 at the Chambers Ireland Local Government Awards.
Donegal County Council was named Local Authority of the Year at the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards which took place yesterday evening (21st November 2024). The 21st annual Awards ceremony was held in association with the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage, sponsored by Orsted, showcasing and celebrating the best of Local Government in Ireland.
Margaret Considine, President Chambers Ireland said:
“Local Authorities continue to make substantial efforts across multiple areas of Irish society with wide-ranging positive impacts for local communities and the local economy; the Local Government Awards serve as the platform to highlight the irreplaceable value that results.
Congratulations to Local Authority of the Year, Donegal County Council, the category winners, the shortlisted organisations and to the people behind all of these excellent projects. Donegal County Council is the well-deserved winner of the overall Local Authority of the Year Award, having shown engagement across the different facets of the Donegal Community, and with the development and sustainability of Donegal’s localities and environment, to achieve this accolade.
For their commitment to serving their community and also raising their area’s profile nationally as a stand-out destination, Donegal County Council deserve to be commended and have earned their Award title of Local Authority of the Year.”
Orsted were the overall sponsors of the awards and TJ Hunter, Senior Director, Development & Operations Ireland said, “I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Donegal County Council on being named Local Authority of the Year for 2024,” said Hunter. “A massive well done to all of the staff and executive of Donegal County Council on this wonderful achievement.”
There were sixteen awards presented on the night including the overall award for Local Authority of the Year. Individual awards were sponsored by: European Recycling Platform (ERP), The Office of the Planning Regulator, Healthy Ireland, Fáilte Ireland, Submit.com, IPB Insurance and EirGrid.
Specially commissioned crystal awards designed by Waterford Crystal were presented to the winners on the night.
The full list of winners is as follows:
Age Friendly Initiative
Kildare County Council – Ballymore Eustace as an Age Friendly Climate Friendly Village
Climate Change
Fingal County Council – Wildfire Management Howth Head
Communications
Galway City Council – Galway City Your Council Podcast
Diversity & Inclusion
Limerick City & County Council – Limerick Migrant Integration Forum
Urban Revival
Waterford City & County Council – Reviving urban living by reducing property vacancy & dereliction in Waterford
Festival of the Year
Limerick City & County Council – Riverfest Limerick 2024
Health and Wellbeing
Donegal County Council – Model Beach Accessibility to improve Health and Wellbeing – A Strategic Approach
Heritage and Built Environment
Dublin City Council – 14 Henrietta Street
Municipal Districts Initiative
Wexford County Council – The Emigrant Park. New Ross
Local Authority Innovation
Limerick City & County Council – Living again: Vacancy, Dereliction and Reuse initiative
Promoting Economic Development
Dublin City Council – Community Wealth Building Dublin City
Supporting Sustainable Communities
Donegal County Council – Burtonport & Arranmore – Harbour to Island Regeneration
Supporting Tourism
Monaghan County Council – Rossmore Forest Park, Monaghan
Sustainable Environment & Biodiversity
Cork City Council – Enhance Clogheenmilcon Fen Bog to create an ecological visitor attraction
Sustaining the Arts
Galway City Council – Reflections – A Commemoration of the Irish Women of 1923
Local Authority of the Year
Donegal County Council
-ENDS-
Excellence in Local Government Awards:
The Excellence in Local Government Awards are hosted by Chambers Ireland in partnership with the Department of the Housing, Local Government and Heritage to showcase the best practice in local government across Ireland. The annual Awards began in 2004 to recognise the Local Authority of the Year and many other achievements delivered by Local Authorities now across fifteen categories.
Photography:
Pictured from L to R: Ian Talbot, Chief Executive of Chambers Ireland; Margaret Considine, President of Chambers Ireland; John McLaughlin, Chief Executive of Donegal County Council; and Brian Harrington, Head of Project Development, Onshore, Ireland and UK at Ørsted.